Electric arc lamp



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. G. FYFE. ELECTRIC ARC LAMP.

No. 519,283. Patented May 1,1894.

comm flf THE NATIQNAL LIYHOGRAFHING COMFANY.

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No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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ELBGTRI G ARC LAMP.

No. 519,283. Patented May 1, 1894.

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. WASHINGTON. n. a,

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. FYFE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES HAYES, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-ARC LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,283, dated May 1, 1894.

Application filed Deeember29, 1893. SerialNo.495.266. on model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN G. FYFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in

the following to be a full, clear, and exact de-.

scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates particularly to improvements in that class of arc lamps, wherein the disk carbons are used, although many features of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are applicable for use in other are lamps.

The objects of the invention, are to provide a relatively short lamp in which the carbons are positively fed to compensate for the consumption thereof, and further to provide a feed and'an are forming mechanism which shall be entirely independent of each other, whereby when the arc has been formed, the feeding of the carbons may be carried on positively and in exact proportion to the rate of consumption without affecting the are forming mechanism or mechanism for holding the carbon separated, thus producing a steady and uniform light.

A further object is to provide a feeding mechanism for the disk carbons, which shall rotate them and bring them together gradually as the consumption proceeds, thereby maintaining a uniform periphery and avoiding the formation of shoulders, a further object being to provide a lamp in which the slightest variation or increase in the resistance of the arc will elfect or operate the feeding mechanism to move the carbons and compensate for the consumption.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements ofv in dotted lines to enable underlying parts to be seen. Fig. 2 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 1, with parts of the mechanism removed and broken away to prevent confusion. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing cir cuits and cut out mechanism. Fig. 4 is a detail section through the upper or positive carbon supports. Fig. 5 is a detail diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of circuits in the lamp.

- Similar numerals of referencein the several figures indicate the same parts.

In the present lamp, I preferably make use of a double framing, that is to say, a fixed or stationary framing, by which one of the carbons is supported and a relatively movable frame by which the other carbon is supported and moved to compensate for the consumption at the arc.

Byreferring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it'will be seen that the stationary framing consists essentially of the supporting ring or equivalent 2, with its hollow standard 3, to which is connected the plate or cover 4, carrying the depending supports 5, 5, usually in the form of rods or bars, bent as shown to avoid the carbon disks and connected at the lower ends bythe direct support for the lower or negative carbon. The depending side pieces 5, 5, near the top carry suitable cross shafts 7, 8, for the feed gear, as will be presently explained. The secondary or movable frame consists of a plate or support 39, sliding upon the side pieces 5, 5, and supported by a rack bar 40, passing up within the hollow standard 3, and-co-operating with a gear 18 on the shaft 8, while from the under side of the support 39, there project two negative carbon supports 46 and 47. The supports 46 and 47 are insulated from the secondary base frame 39, the former being rigidly connected therewith through the insulator block 45 and the latter extended up through an insulator block 44, above which it is adapted to be engaged by the clutch mechanism for elevating and separating the carbons to form the arc. These supports are also bent out of the way of the carbon disks and both sets of supports are connected together at one side of their carbon disk, which construction enables me to fasten the disks in place with simple nuts such as 25 and 52, screwing onto the ends of the carbon supports.

To separate the carbons and form the are, I provide a helix t1, having a short perma nent core 42 and a movable or plunging core 43 carried by one endof a lever55pivoted on a standard 56, and having its opposite end projected beneath and connected to an insulator block 57. These parts are mounted upon the secondary base 39, and in addition, this base carries an insulator block 61, upon which is mounted a U-shaped spring 59 having journals in its ends for the grooved eccentrics 60. The eccentrics embrace the movable positive carbon support 4,7 and are caused to grip the same by means of the link connections 58, connected to the block 57, on the lever 55. The link connections 58 are preferably formed by an inverted spring metal U-shaped structure, as shown, and in operation it will be understood that as the rear end of the lever moves upward, the spring links cause the eccentrics to turn on their journals, bringing their eccentric faces closer together, gripping the support 47 and as they continue to turn, lifting the same together with the attached carbon to form the are.

This carbon separating or are forming mechanism is entirely independent of the mechanism for feeding the carbons to compensate for the consumption of the same, and it is, as before explained, mounted on the secondary or movable base 39 and therefore partakes of the movement of the carbons as they are fed toward each other by the feeding mechanism.

Before describing specifically the feeding mechanism, it should be explained that the carbon disks are mounted at an angle to each other, preferably right angles, on suitable horizontal or substantially horizontal shafts.

Bearings 26 and 28 are provided in the lower ends of the stationary carbon supports 5, 5, for the shaft 25, upon the end of which the lower or negative carbon disk 71 is secured by the nut 25". This shaft is held againstlongitudinal movementoutwardbythe collar 25 and is rotated through the medium of the metallic sprocket wheel 24 and feed chain 23 extending up to the feed mechanism. The upper or positive carbon 70 is arranged at right angles to the lower carbon and is carried by a sleeve 51 mounted upon the forwardly projecting end 5') of the support 47. The sleeve 51 is provided with a beveled pinion at the inner end meshing with a corresponding pinion 49 carried by a shaft 48 journaled in bearings 77 and 77 formed respectively in the supports 46 and 4,7. The shaft 48 is rotated bymeans ofan insulated sprocket wheel 54 with which the drive chain 23 meshes, and inasmuch as the support 47 is moved vertically to separate the carbons in forming the are, it is necessary that the bearings for the shaft 48 should be sufficiently loose to permit of its being moved to a slight angle withontretarding or causing an appreciable resistance to its rotation. The drive chain passes up over a sprocket wheel 22 journaled loosely on the shaft 8, but connected rigidly with a ratchet wheel 21 with which the re ciprocating dog or pawlll co-operates to turn the sprocket wheel, thereby rotating the carbons as their peripheries are consumed, and in order to cause a proper proportionate movement of the carbons toward each other, a train of gears, consisting of gear wheels 20 and 19, the former connected with the ratchet wheel and the latter mounted rigidly on the shaft A and the gear wheels 12, 13, connected together and journaled on shaft 7, is provided, for communicating a relatively very slow movement to the shaft 8, and the latter is provided with a gear wheel 18 meshing with the rack bar 40, the latter constituting the support for the secondary frame carrying the upper positive carbon. YVith this mechanism, it will be seen at once, that the upper or secondary frame is caused to descend at a rate exactly in proportion to the rate at which the carbons move on their centers, thus in suring at all times a regular-and. uniform periphery.

To operate the feed pawl or dog 11 it is connected rigidly with the shaft 7 and the latter carries at the opposite end a yoke armature 10 which is elevated to rock the shaft 7 by means of a fine wire magnet 9, secured to the top at in position to be embraced by arms of the armature, said magnet being in shunt with the are as will presently appear. To the center of the yoke armature, 10, there is attached a contact arm or lever 29, carrying at its outer end a contact 29" adapted to cooperate with a similar insulated contact on the frame. The arm or lever also carries an armature plate 30 which is adapted to be attracted by the vibrating magnet 31 secured to the top piece t and arranged in series with a portion of the coils of the magnet 9, the cir cuit for said vibrating magnet 31 being completed through the contacts 29 when the armature 10 is depressed, and the lever orarm raised.

To form a cut-out for the fine wire magnet, the binding post to which the positive leading in wire 67 is connected, is provided with an upward extension 65 in the upper end of which a rod 75 of insulation is mounted. This rod 75 forms the bearing for a sleeve 63, having a cross pin 63, Fig. 3, adapted to rest on a block of insulation 64- on the lever 55, by which means the sleeve 63 is elevated against the tension of spring 62 whenever the lever 55 is elevated, but, which, when the le ver 55 is depressed through the action of the solenoid ll makes contact with the extension 65 of the binding post 65 and diverts a portion of the current through the coils of the fine wire magnet. The main portion of the current coming in over the leading in wire (37 proceeds through the connections 69 and 78 and the insulated positive carbon supports 46 and 47, to the carbons and from the negative carbon to the framing or lower carbon supports and thence through the said supports, the feeding chain and other metallic parts to the permanent core 42 of the solenoid 41, which latter is in electrical connection with the secondary or movable base 39 and has the inner terminal of the solenoid soldered to it at 72. From the solenoid the current proceeds by connecting wire, 73 to the negative binding post 66 carried by, but insulated from the secondary base 39, as is also the positive binding post 65. From the binding post 66, the leading out wire 68 passesup to the insulated cross piece 38, which holds both terminals in convenient position for connec tion with the line wires. The fine wire or feed magnet 9 is wound double, the convolutes of both portions, however, passing in the same direction, and the outer convolute, said coils being arranged one inside the other, being of about one third greater strength, that is to say, the division occurs with about two-thirds of the wire in the outer convolute. One of the terminals of each convolute is connected with the sleeve 63, the other terminal of the outer convolute being connected with the base frame at 74 and the corresponding terminal of the inner convolute extending through the connection 9 to the vibrating magnet 31 and from the latter to the insulated contact 35 from which point the circuit is completed through the contact 29, spring lever 29 and shaft 7 to the frame, thence to the solenoid, thus the whole of the current passes through the solenoid.

The resistance to the operation or movement of the feed armature 10 whereby the regulation of the arc is effected, is secured by means of the spring 32 which is adapted to have its tension adjusted by means of the screw 33, thus when the spring is put under increased tension, the length of the arc will have to be increased before sufficient current will be shunted, through the feed magnet to cause the armature to be drawn up to efiect a further feed, and on the other hand when a short arc is desired, by decreasing the tension of the spring, an vopposite result is secured. In every I instance, however, the vibrating magnet holds the armature against movement until a sufficient current passes through the feed magnet to overcome the attraction of the vibrating magnet and effect a sudden and complete movement of the feed mechanism, the efieet being to produce a most sensitive feed, but one which will feed regularly under all circumstances.

The operation of the lamp is as follows: Assuming that the carbons are together in normal position, before any current is in the circuit, the lever is elevated and the clutch released, which condition can'only exist when no current is in the circuit, the moment the current passes over the circuit and through the solenoid 41, as all that passes through the lamp must do, it draws down the plunger or core 43 together with the lever 55 and first, causes the clutch disks 60, to grasp the movable support 47, elevate the latter, and sepa rate the carbons to form the arc, in which position they are held until the solenoid 41 becomes absolutely inactive, its strength being vastly increased by causing the stationary and movable cores to contact, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, and secondly, it allows the cut out sleeve or contact 63 to engage the binding post extension 65 and diverts or shunts a portion of the current through the convolutes of the magnets 9 and 31, this operation of the current, however, being insufficient to cause the attraction of the feed armature 10, until the resistance of the arc becomes great. When this occurs the strength of the magnet 9 is increased by the current passing through its convolutes, the armature'lO is attracted and the feed dog caused to reciprocate, rotating the feed wheel 21, and through the feed chain to turn the gears on the carbon supports, at the same time the pinion 18 is moved thus effecting both. a rotary movement of the carbons and a very slight movement toward each other. The outer convolute of the feed magnet 9 is not of sufficient strength to attract the armature 10 by itself and hence the moment the circuit through the inner convolute is ruptured by the separation of the contacts 29 and 35, the armature 10 drops and if the resistance of the are has not been decreased by the feed given by the upward movement of the armature, the armature is again attracted because of the re-establishment of the circuit through the said contacts and the consequent energizing of the inner convolute of the magnet 9, this vibration of the armature being continued until the carbons are broughtclose enough together to again reduce the resistance of the arc to a point where the current flowing through the feed magnet will be insufficient to operate the armature.

The lamp described is intended for use in series, but it is obvious that it may be easily adapted for use in multiple, for instance by introducing resistance at 1-1 in the leading in and out wires.

By mounting the carbons on the ends of their supports, they may be removed and renewed with the utmost facility.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In an electric lamp, the combination with the rotary supports upon which the carbons are mounted, a movable support or frame on which one support is mounted, of a feed gearing cooperating with the rotary supports to rotate the carbons and also with the movable support or frame to advance the same and decrease the distance between the carbons, and a feed magnet controlling said feed gearing, located in shunt with the are; substantially as described.

2. In an electric lamp, the combination with the stationary and movable frames, and the rotary carbon supports carried by the respective frames, the support on the movable frame having a limited independent movement, of the solenoid on the movable frame for movin g the support to separate the carbons and form the are, a feed mechanism gearing with the movable frame and carbon supports respectively, and a feed magnet controlling the feed mechanism, whereby the carbons are simultaneously rotated and advanced toward each other; substantially as described.

3. In an electriclamp, the combination with the stationary and movable frames, the rack bar on the latter, the feed gear on the stationary framein gear with the rack bar, and the feed magnet, of the relatively fixed and movable carbon supports carried respectively by the stationary and movable frames and the solenoid for lifting the movable support to form the are carried by the movable frame; substantially as described.

4. In an electric lamp, the combination with the rotary supports upon which the carbons are mounted, movable toward and from each other, and the insulated sprocket wheel for one carbon, of a feed magnet and a chain driven thereby meshing with the sprocket wheels on both rotary carbon supports for si- 1n ultaneouslyrotating them without establishing an electrical connection between them; substantially as described.

5. In an electric lamp, the combination with the stationary frame, the movable frame sliding thereon, with the depending carbon supports on said frames respectively, and the up wardly extending rack bar on the movable,

frame, of the feed magnet and train of gearing on the stationary frame in mesh with the rack bar for advancing the movable frame, the solenoid on the movable frame, and a clutch connection operated thereby for moving the depending carbon support with relation to said movable frame for forming the are; substantially as described.

6. In an electric lamp, the combination with the stationary and movable carbon supports, of a clutch connection for the movable support consisting of the U-shaped spring member, the grooved eccentrics journaled therein,the inverted U-shaped spring link member connected with the eccentrics, the pivoted operating lever with which said spring lifiks are connected, the solenoid and plunging core for operating said lever; substantially as described.

7. In an electric lamp, the combination with the stationary frame having the depending supports with the rotary support at the lower end upon which one carbon is mounted, and the movable frame having the depending supports with the rotary support at the lower end, upon which the other carbon is mounted, and the rack bar supporting the movable frame, of the feed magnet in shunt with the carbons, a ratchet wheel driven by said feed magnet, a feed chain moved thereby and cooperating with both rotary supports upon which the carbon is mounted, and a train of gearing interposed between said ratchet wheel and rack bar for advancing the movable frame; substantially as described.

8. In an electric lamp, the combination with the carbon supports and feed gearing, of the feed magnet wound in two sections in shunt with each other and both in shunt with the carbons, a vibrating magnet in circuit with one of the windings of the feed magnet, an armature for the feed magnet and contacts controlled by said armature for interrupting the circuit through the vibrating magnet; substantially as described.

9. In an electric lamp, the combination with the stationary frame, having the depending supports, the movable frame sliding thereon, with the depending and independently movable support and the solenoid for moving said support, of the feed gearing, the feed magnet in shunt with the arc, the yoke armature adapted to embrace said magnet when operated thereby, the lever connected with said armature and the adjustable spring for regulating the movement of the armature; substantially as described.

10. In an electric lamp, the combination with the stationary frame having the depending supports with the transverse rotary support at the bottom upon which the carbon is mounted, of the movable frame having the upwardly projecting rack bar and the depending supports, with the transverse rotary support upon which the carbon is mounted, of the feed gearing on the stationary frame having a feed chain for driving the rotary supports and a pinion meshing with the vertical rack on the movable frame and the feed magnet for operating the feed gear, said magnet being in shunt with the are; substantially as described.

11. In an electric lamp, the combination with the base or stationary frame, and the movable frame, sliding thereon with the insulated depending supports, of the leading in wire connected with said supports, a solenoid for forming the are connected with the leading out wire and with the stationary frame and a feed magnet connected with the leading in wire and with said frame, whereby said feed magnet is in shunt with the arc and the entire current is caused to pass through the solenoid; substantially as described.

12. In an electric lamp, the combination with the stationary frame having the depending supports and the movable frame sliding on the stationary frame and having the depending support, of the solenoid on the movable frame, the lever operated by said solenoid with a clutch connection between said le' ver and the depending support, the feed magnet and a cut out having one contact connected with the leading in wire and the other moved by said lever, whereby when the solenoid is energized said contacts are brought together and the feed magnet put in circuit; substantially as described.

13. In an electric lamp, the combination with the stationary frame having the dependiug carbon supports, the movable frame sliding on the stationary frame with the depending carbon supports thereon, the solenoid and the lever operated thereby with a clutch connection between said lever and support depending from the movable frame, of the feed magnet, a contact in connection with the leading in wire, a second contact in connection with the feed magnet, a spring for advancing said contact to establish the feed magnet circuit and a pin or projection on said contact cooperating with the lever, whereby when the solenoid is energized the feed magnet circuit is established and vice versa; substan= tially as described.

14. In an electric lamp, the combination with the depending supports, of the horlzontal supports carried thereby and pro ectmg beyond the depending supports at one end, with disk carbons secured on said pro ecting ends at angles to each other; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. FYFE. Witnesses:

CHAS. F. BOWEY, JNO. L. BLAINE. 

